Court Report

A Stillwater man was convicted of domestic assault by strangulation in connection with a June 10 incident involving his 40-year-old girlfriend.

The victim told officers that the man, Jeffrey Robert Lerdahl Lerdahl, was a former U.S. Marine and she noticed his personality change after he had been watching the Military Channel. The victim added that Lerdahl had been drinking and taking prescription medications that belonged to both of them before Lerdahl apparently attempted to commit suicide.

The assault began after Lerdahl and the victim argued, and court documents state that the victim had visible injuries on her body when she filed the original police report. The victim told officers that Lerdahl made threats to beat and kill her, then put a pillow over her face, attempted to set her on fire and strangled her. She added that she lost consciousness during the incident.

Lerdahl was first taken to Lakeview Hospital, then checked himself in to a St. Paul hospital. When Lerdahl was released from the St. Paul hospital the original police report said Stillwater Police officers arrested him, informed him of the charges and took him to the Washington County Jail.

Lerdahl has been convicted of several domestic-related incidents in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Lerdahl was given a stay of execution of 18 months, is on probation for three years and was given 132 days in jail with credit for 132 days. He must pay a $300 fine with surcharges and fees and must not use alcohol or drugs, and he must submit to random testing. He must not contact his girlfriend and must attend the Bob Kelly Domestic Abuse Program and have a psychological exam.

Man convicted of burglary, assault

A Lake Elmo man was convicted of burglary and fifth-degree assault last week in connection with two separate incidents.

The assault occurred Dec. 22, 2012. Court documents state that Nelson’s ex-girlfriend told police that she had recently ended their relationship when he punched her in the face after pounding on her door.

Due to his prior domestic assault-related charges within three years of this incident, Nelson was given 365 days in jail, a $3,000 fine with 215 days and $2,900 stayed to probation for two years. He also 150 days in jail with credit for 71 days, sentence service or straight time concurrent a $100 fine with a surcharge and fees. Must not have alcohol or drugs, submit to random testing and have no contact with the ex-girlfriend until domestic abuse treatment is completed.

The second incident involving Nelson centers around the theft of his child’s laptop.
Court documents state that Nelson entered his ex-mother-in-law’s home without permission and stole a laptop computer from inside the residence. The ex-mother-in-law was taking care of Nelson’s two children when he came to pick up his son. When the ex-mother-in-law entered the residence she found Nelson who slammed a door and left through the back door and was unable to be located. After looking around court documents state that the ex-mother-in-law noticed that the computer was missing from the residence. The laptop was a birthday gift for Nelson’s 10-year-old daughter, it was valued at $700. Documents state that police called Nelson who didn’t say where he was and didn’t want to come and discuss the issue in person. Court documents state that the laptop has yet to be returned.

Nelson must serve 150 days in jail with credit for 71 days in-custody. Sentence to service or straight time, pay a $300 fine and return the laptop within 10 days. No use of alcohol or drugs and submit to random testing. He must have no contact with the victims and have a psychological examination.

Drug charges conviction

A White Bear Lake man was convicted of fifth degree drug charges after calling in fraudulent prescriptions for Vicodin at the Walmart pharmacy.

The man, identified in court documents as James Edward Cook, had called in several fraudulent Vicodin prescriptions during the last six months. A female had left a message from a Dr. Stark’s office for the prescription, but Cook was found not to be a patient at the clinic and hadn’t been prescribed the medication.

The person who picked up Cook’s prescriptions denied knowing about the narcotic medication. Cook was positively identified picking up the prescription for Vicodin at three different times between Aug. 27, 2012 and Sept. 29, 2012.

Cook was sentenced to a stay of imposition with two and a half years of probation. He must pay a fine of $5,000 stayed $4,500, and must not use drugs or alcohol and submit to random testing. He must complete a chemical dependency evaluation in 20 days and remain law abiding.

Woman faces drug charges

A Bayport woman faces charges of fifth-degree drug possession.

Nancy Claretta Benson was pulled over for rolling through a stop sign in front of a restaurant in Bayport. Officers ran her name and learned she had an active warrant out for her arrest in Ramsey County for a DWI charge.

Benson was searched, and while officers were going through her purse, they allegedly found a coin purse with a white powdery substance in it that was tested and identified as heroin with a gross weight of 1.4 grams and six Vicodin pills. Benson allegedly admitted to having snorted heroin the day before.